Chlamydia pecorum Ovine Abortion: Associations between Maternal Infection and Perinatal Mortality.

Jenkins, C; Jelocnik, M; Onizawa, E; McNally, J; Coilparampil, R; Pinczowski, P; Bogema, D; Westermann, T

Chlamydia pecorum Ovine Abortion: Associations between Maternal Infection and Perinatal Mortality.

Jenkins, C Jelocnik, M Onizawa, E McNally, J Coilparampil, R Pinczowski, P Bogema, D

Westermann, T

Permalink

Publisher:: MDPI AG
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Pathogens, 2021, 10, (11), pp. 1367
Issue Date:: 2021-10-22

Open Access

Copyright Clearance Process

Recently Added
In Progress
Open Access

This item is open access.

Adobe PDF

Download Published versionAdobe PDF (17.72 MB)

View on publisher's site

View statistics

Full metadata record

Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Jenkins, C
dc.contributor.author	Jelocnik, M
dc.contributor.author	Onizawa, E
dc.contributor.author	McNally, J
dc.contributor.author	Coilparampil, R
dc.contributor.author	Pinczowski, P
dc.contributor.author	Bogema, D https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7013-7326
dc.contributor.author	Westermann, T
dc.date.accessioned	2022-01-22T23:50:03Z
dc.date.available	2021-10-20
dc.date.available	2022-01-22T23:50:03Z
dc.date.issued	2021-10-22
dc.identifier.citation	Pathogens, 2021, 10, (11), pp. 1367
dc.identifier.issn	2076-0817
dc.identifier.issn	2076-0817
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/153445
dc.description.abstract	Chlamydia pecorum is a common gastrointestinal inhabitant of livestock but infections can manifest in a broad array of clinical presentations and in a range of host species. While C. pecorum is a known cause of ovine abortion, clinical cases have only recently been described in detail. Here, the prevalence and sequence types (STs) of C. pecorum in ewes from a property experiencing high levels of perinatal mortality (PNM) in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, were investigated using serological and molecular methods. Ewes that were PNM+ were statistically more likely to test seropositive compared to PNM- ewes and displayed higher antibody titres; however, an increase in chlamydial shedding from either the rectum, vagina or conjunctiva of PNM+ ewes was not observed. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) indicated that C. pecorum ST23 was the major ST shed by ewes in the flock, was the only ST identified from the vaginal site, and was the same ST detected within aborted foetal tissues. Whole genome sequencing of C. pecorum isolated from one abortion case revealed that the C. pecorum plasmid (pCpec) contained a unique deletion in coding sequence 1 (CDS1) that was also present in C. pecorum ST23 shed from the ewes. A further unique deletion was noted in a polymorphic membrane protein gene (pmpG) of the C. pecorum chromosome, which warrants further investigation given the role of PmpG in host cell adherence and tissue tropism.This study describes novel infection parameters in a sheep flock experiencing C. pecorum-associated perinatal mortality, provides the first genomic data from an abortigenic C. pecorum strain, and raises questions about possible links between unique genetic features of this strain and C. pecorum abortion.
dc.format	Electronic
dc.language	eng
dc.publisher	MDPI AG
dc.relation.ispartof	Pathogens
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.3390/pathogens10111367
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject	1107 Immunology, 1108 Medical Microbiology
dc.title	Chlamydia pecorum Ovine Abortion: Associations between Maternal Infection and Perinatal Mortality.
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	10
utslib.location.activity	Switzerland
utslib.for	1107 Immunology
utslib.for	1108 Medical Microbiology
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
dc.date.updated	2022-01-22T23:49:55Z
pubs.issue	11
pubs.publication-status	Published online
pubs.volume	10
utslib.citation.issue	11

Abstract:

Chlamydia pecorum is a common gastrointestinal inhabitant of livestock but infections can manifest in a broad array of clinical presentations and in a range of host species. While C. pecorum is a known cause of ovine abortion, clinical cases have only recently been described in detail. Here, the prevalence and sequence types (STs) of C. pecorum in ewes from a property experiencing high levels of perinatal mortality (PNM) in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, were investigated using serological and molecular methods. Ewes that were PNM+ were statistically more likely to test seropositive compared to PNM- ewes and displayed higher antibody titres; however, an increase in chlamydial shedding from either the rectum, vagina or conjunctiva of PNM+ ewes was not observed. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) indicated that C. pecorum ST23 was the major ST shed by ewes in the flock, was the only ST identified from the vaginal site, and was the same ST detected within aborted foetal tissues. Whole genome sequencing of C. pecorum isolated from one abortion case revealed that the C. pecorum plasmid (pCpec) contained a unique deletion in coding sequence 1 (CDS1) that was also present in C. pecorum ST23 shed from the ewes. A further unique deletion was noted in a polymorphic membrane protein gene (pmpG) of the C. pecorum chromosome, which warrants further investigation given the role of PmpG in host cell adherence and tissue tropism.This study describes novel infection parameters in a sheep flock experiencing C. pecorum-associated perinatal mortality, provides the first genomic data from an abortigenic C. pecorum strain, and raises questions about possible links between unique genetic features of this strain and C. pecorum abortion.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/153445